The invention relates to a record carrier on which an information volume is stored in tracks of the record carrier in compliance with a standard, which information volume comprises data files and control information intended to be used for controlling the search for information in the recorded information volume.
The invention also relates to a method of recording information on a record carrier, in which method an information volume is recorded in tracks of the record carrier in compliance with a standard, which information volume comprises data files and control information intended to be used for controlling the search for information in the recorded information volume.
The invention also relates to a recording apparatus for recording information comprising data files on a record carrier in compliance with a standard, which apparatus comprises recording means for recording information in tracks of the record carrier, formatting means for composing an information volume in accordance with predetermined formatting instructions, according to which instructions the information volume is provided with control information intended to be used for controlling the search for information in the information volume, and control means for causing the recording means to record the information volume.
The invention further relates to a playback device for reading the record carrier.
Such a record carrier, method, recording apparatus and playback device are described in EP 507 403 A2 hereby incorporated herein in whole by reference. In the CD-ROM-XA system the so-called volume descriptor is recorded as control information in an address range beginning with the sector having the logic sector number 16. This volume descriptor comprises, for example, references to the sector address of the so-called path table which table comprises the directory structure and references to directory files. This path table and these directory files contain the necessary information for searching and reading the data files included in the recorded information volume. More than one volume may be recorded on the record carrier. In that case the last recorded volume contains control information which is intended to be used for controlling the search for information in the relevant information volume and in previously recorded information volumes. The standardized format in which the information is recorded on the record carrier makes it comply with a plurality of operating systems.
It is however a disadvantage that retrieval of the information of the record carrier requires a relatively complex CPU with external memory.
It is an object of the invention to provide means which obviate this disadvantage, but which still are compatible with a standard.
With respect to the record carrier this object is achieved in that the information volume in addition comprises a File Location Table with File Location Entries containing an identification and an address of the data files.
With respect to the method this object is achieved in that the information volume in addition comprises a File Location Table with File Location Entries containing an identification and an address of the data files.
With respect to the recording apparatus this object is achieved in that the apparatus comprises deriving means for deriving a File Location Table with File Location Entries which contain an identification and an address of the data files and in that the control means are arranged for causing the file location table to be recorded in addition to the other information.
The record carrier of the invention is suitable for playback on a playback device having a relatively simple processor, which is arranged for processing the File Location Table. The File Location Table on the one hand is compact so that a simple processor suffices, while on the other hand it allows the processor to discriminate between and locate files of different types. Moreover, the record carrier is fully compatible with the said standard, preferably the ISO-9660 standard, the latter being widely used by for example CD-ROM XA, CD-I, CD-ROM, PHOTO-CD and SVCD. The record carrier of the invention therefore, can be read by a wide range of playback devices.
It is remarked that EP 507 397 hereby incorporated herein in whole by reference discloses a method of recording information volumes on a record carrier wherein the lead out sector comprises a table of contents (TOC) of the files recorded on the record carrier. A TOC is suitable for controlling playback of files of the same type, e.g. files containing digitized picture information. The TOC can however not be used for playback of a record carrier containing different filetypes, because a file identification for identifying the type of file is lacking.
It is further remarked that EP 465 245 hereby incorporated herein in whole by reference discloses a record carrier for Karaoke music. Data structures are proposed to enable a playback device to start playback of music and its wordings at an arbitrary point in time. It is not suggested to combine datastructures at the same record carrier so as to enable playback by different type of playback devices.
The File Location Table may contain other information in addition to that specified above, such as an entry containing the size of the file location entries. The File Location Table however, should be compact as compared to the control information compliant with the standard. In a preferred embodiment, wherein the information volume is divided in sectors, the File Location Table has a size of at most one sector.